A group of California residents have filed a lawsuit against Starbucks and claim the popular coffeehouse chain discriminates against lactose-intolerant customers.
Starbucks sued in $5 million class action by California residents who claim company discriminates against lactose intolerant customers
In expensive cities such as San Francisco and New York City, alternatives to cow milk such as oat, almond, coconut and soy milk can add up to 90 cents to a customer’s bill. When the lawsuit was filed, dairy products like whole milk, half & half and heavy cream were priced between 3 and 32 cents per fluid ounce.
The lawsuit states,"Upon information and belief, Starbucks has earned over $1 billion dollars in the United States as a result of its discriminatory and illegal levying of the Surcharge during the class period." "For these people, it’s not a choice since they can’t drink regular milk. Charging a surcharge is discrimination against them," he told The Los Angeles Times.